Bake the Cookies–A Winter Review Activity

It’s no secret that I am a bit fanatical about review. Whether you’re teaching reading or spelling, consistent review helps your child retain what is being taught. But review shouldn’t just be consistent—it should be fun! That’s why I included loads of fast-paced, kid-friendly review activities in ALL of our programs.

If you need to turn up the fun on your lessons this winter, here’s a great activity that you can use to review both reading and spelling words. Just click the image below to download “Bake the Cookies.”

In this activity, your child gets to “bake” cookies! One side of the card shows a lump of cookie dough. After your child reads or spells the word, he flips the card over to reveal a freshly baked cookie.

The cookie dough cards are blank so you can easily customize this activity by using the words your child is currently learning. If you’d like to make this a reusable activity, just laminate the cards and use a dry-erase marker to write new words as your child progresses through lessons this winter.

And don’t forget—keep review time short, interesting, and lively. From a kid’s perspective, nothing is worse than stale, boring review time that drags on and on. Do a fast-paced review of previously taught concepts, and then dig in to something new!

Marie Rippel, curriculum developer of the award-winning All About Reading and All About Spelling programs, is known for taking the struggle out of both teaching and learning. Marie is an Orton-Gillingham practitioner, sought-after speaker, and member of the International Dyslexia Association. When not writing or teaching, Marie can be found riding her Icelandic horses.

Marie, I can’t thank you enough for activities like this. I’m a reading interventionist at a public school with K-3rd grade students. I had one child, Madison, who was capable of reading, but was not interested. She LOVES this activity and has asked to do it again often. I made her some copies to take home and do herself. She was thrilled. I came back to get more color copies for my other groups. This activity really catches kids’ imaginations and motivates them to “bake the cookies”.

Cathy, I’m so thankful to hear that this activity has been put to such great use! I’m glad you’ve been able to use it as a fun motivator for kids. Thanks for the kind words, and continue to enjoy “baking cookies!”

Fantastic! I’ve been wanting to somehow add a bit more actual writing for my second grader who ‘thinks’ she doesn’t like it, as well as make sure her spelling words are down pat. We’ve done just about all we can think of with the word cards and this will be a fresh breath for all of us. I will have her older sibling read words on tape that she can then listen to and write on the ‘cookies’! Thank you, thank you, thank you for continuing to help ensure what is learned is retained.

Are the words the child writes on…found in the curriculum? I assume someone reads the words to the child. It would be great if there was a cd available, with the words on it…so, the child could use it on their time schedule without waiting for mom to be available. Such as the Phoentic Zoo does.

Priscilla, these cards are for whatever your heart desires. They’re only limited to the imagination! The words can come from your current reading or spelling lessons. They can even be used for math, as Laurie said. :)

Here’s a possibility … if you have two kids that can work together: have one read a selection of green Word Cards (from either reading or spelling) while the other spells from that dictation. If the cookies are laminated, they can take turns doing each and double the amount of review!

As Kendra mentioned, the green Word Cards can be used for a variety of creative activities. This is just one!

You can also record the words when you do have time. Sometimes I just use the free/already on my comp record option and record different things for my son, and then he has them there with him. He’s only 5 and it didn’t take him long to learn/figure out how to operate it.

Both my boys will think this is great! I’m always surprised that my nine year old is as engaged as my six year old with their reading activities. There is much dissapointment on his part when he doen’t have a fun activity with each lesson. This will supplement those days well.

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[…] known for its engaging, multisensory activities that help children learn and retain phonics. This free “Bake the Cookies” download is no exception. In this fast-paced, kid-friendly activity, students “bake” cookies by […]